THE WAY WE DO CHURCH
1Corinthians 14:26-33 February 13, 2000
By Pastor Rick MacDonald
INTRODUCTION
A. W. Tozer says, a real Christian is an odd person. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen; talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another; empties himself in order to be full; admits he is wrong so he can be declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest and happiest when he feels the worst. He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep; sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passes knowledge.
True spirituality manifests itself in certain dominant desires.
1. When we desire to be holy rather than happy.
2. When we want to see the honor of God advanced through our lives even if it means we must suffer temporary dishonor or loss.
3. When we want to carry our cross.
4. When we see everything from God’s viewpoint.
5. When we desire to die right rather than to live wrong.
6. When we desire to see others advance at his expense.
7. When we make eternity-judgments instead of time-judgments.
Therefore, anyone who opens his personality to the living Spirit takes a risk of being considerably shaken.
I. WHEN WE GATHER
1 Corinthians 14:26 - What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
A. It is very hard to define the New Testament church. It is almost like nailing jello to the wall! Every time you think you have grasped it, it slips between your fingers.
1. From the earliest times, Christians felt the need to meet and share together.
2. They shared their God given spiritual gifts for each other’s benefit.
3. Everything done contributes to
a. the understanding of the mind,
b. the uplifting of the spirit,
c. the encouraging of the heart.
4. This is the basis of meeting in the early church, and it still is today.
B. Gathering together should have this view - Let all be done to edifying.
1. Free participation without disorder.
II. THE MATTER OF RULES ABOUT TONGUES
1 Corinthians 14:27-28- If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret; {28} but if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.
A. Three simple limits govern the matter of the exercise of the biblical gift of tongues.
1. Only a few should speak.
a. Why?
1. It’s an emotional experience, and too much emotion can be destructive.
2. Too little emotion is destructive too.
3. This is why Paul is trying to bring a balance.
b. There is to be no duplication or multiplicity of speakers speaking all at once so that everyone may reap the benefits of the ministry of tongues.
1. As an exhultation
2. As an exhortation
3. As a correction
2. It must be interpreted.
3. If no one is able to interpret, then no one is to speak in tongues in the church because tongues must be interpreted for edification.
B. The baptism or infilling of the Holy Spirit is operative in every believer and in the varied ministries of the church.
1. Every believer must answer the question of Acts 19:2, “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?”
a. Two expressions should be qualified here:
1. Charismatic should never view a non-charismatic as “less saved” or less spiritual than himself.
2. The process of yielding the complete person does not mean:
a. a passivity of mind or
b. a self-hypnotic or trance-like state.
3. The mind is active. One’s physical being participates
a. As worship is spoken and expressed,
b. with upraised voice in prayer or upraised hands of adoration
C. Tongues for public exhortation.
1. Speaking in “tongues” only edifies public worship when it is interpreted.
a. You are to pray for the interpretation, or keep silent, unless someone who functions in the gift of interpretation is known to be present
2. The Spirit works only to edify.
a. Whenever He is present all things are in order and devoid of uneasiness.
3. The “spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets”
a. Confusion can and should be avoided so that decency with unity may prevail
4. The basis of all gifts is love.
a. Love, not the experience of a gift, is the qualifying factor for those who would exercise spiritual gifts.
b. The administration of spiritual authority in the local congregation, the Word demands that we “judge” to confirm that those who exercise gifts actually do “pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts.”
5. The Author and Dispenser of the gifts is the Holy Spirit
a. No gift becomes the exclusive possession of any believer for his personal edification and pride.
b. The gifts are placed in the church to be exercised by the body for the mutual edification of the believers.
6. The overarching guideline is, “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
III. TWO OR THREE PROPHETS CAN BE HEARD PROFITABLY DURING A MEETING.
1 Corinthians 14:29-33 - And let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. {30} But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, let the first keep silent. {31} For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; {32} and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; {33} for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
A. Once again, three simple controls.
1. At any one meeting it was to be limited to one or two or three at the most.
2. Prophesying should be examined:
a. "Let the others weigh what is said," speaks of distinguishing “between spirits.” It is their responsibility to determine if the message was from God.
b. Prophesying is an attempt to expound and explain the mind of God.
1. It’s not inspiration; everything a prophet says is not necessarily true.
c. As Calvin said, it is the gift of explaining revelation, therefore, it is subject to the judgment and comment of others.
d. We must consider the message, not the messanger.
1. If I didn’t know the person, would I measure it differently?
3. The third limit was, let it be one by one: In other words, nobody was to take over the meeting, Paul says, for two reasons:
a. First, because the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet.
1. The prophecies are under the full control of the prophets.
2. No true prophet can claim a hearing on the ground that he is under a power over which he has no control.
b. Second, the Spirit of God never creates confusion or disorder.
1. No one is to dominate a meeting, to run away with it, or consider himself an inspired spokesman because God does not work that way.
2. Let it be orderly and decently done and give room to others to speak and to share in the ministry.
4. What is striking is the apparent lack of a fixed order of service and the absence of reference to particular individuals being responsible for specific ministries.
a. The whole church seemed to exercise their gifts by spontaneously ministering to one another.
b. But the Spirit of God left his prophets the clear use of their judgment, when, and how long, it was fit for them to speak, and never hurried them into any improprieties either as to the matter, manner, or time of their speaking.
B. that all may learn;
1. More of the doctrine of Christ, of the mind and will of God, and attain to a greater knowledge in the mysteries of the Gospel,
2. There are none who know so much, that they are not capable of being further taught, and that sometimes by such whose gifts are interior to them:
CONCLUSION
God is at work in all of us, but the Spirit’s work is manifest in different ways. Yet, it is the Spirit who shows Himself behind each gift, and these expressions of His presence are dedicated to our common good. (Just how He works in each individual is His choice.) Really, the best way to measure true spirituality is love. No gift profits a person exercising it unless he loves. You want to measure spirituality? Then look to love. Focus on love, and realize that the gifts used for communicating God’s Word should have priority when you meet.
